autodidactic way of life

cathy // ‘99 // intj // academic nomad

[catheinated]

knowledge is writing an email at ass o'clock and scheduling it to be sent in the morning; wisdom is choosing a specific time like 8:27 to maximise inconspicuousness

[catheinated]

2.11.2024 - saw a friend yesterday while on my way to work. i'm temporarily working at an audiology clinic as a clinical administrator and as a chronically anxious person who is reluctant to make/take phone calls on a good day, this is the least ideal job for me. my employer is lovely but i barely make any money and i can't wait to hopefully find a new job soon.

[catheinated]

1.11.2024 - i'll turn 25 in one month and it'll be 2025 in another. this year hasn't gone the way i had hoped so i need to make better preparations for next year. luck is when preparation meets opportunity after all (thanks seneca)

[catheinated]

PSA: do NOT attempt this unless you are confident in your risk management abilities

just had one of the most sublime 'fuck it' moments when i smashed the bottleneck of a wine bottle with a bread knife to get the cork out (i have no corkscrew and my patience was running thin)

[catheinated]

countdown to the new year || 64 days

nourishing the body and soul

[catheinated]

countdown to the new year || 70 days

having some difficult times lately, taking things as they are, trying to work hard and hoping for the best

[catheinated]

i know i drew this two weeks ago but it's virgo season now and the stars are telling me to resuscitate my blog

[catheinated]

[averagefairy]

this is a message for everyone who is 22. if you’re 22 please stop worrying. take a deep breath eat a bagel maybe. everything that feels impossible is going to work itself out. have a great day

[catheinated]

1 may 2022

MIA as always from tumblr because i need to hustle my master's research project. hoping to get back into this blog as a stress outlet!

[catheinated]

2 jan 2022 // Have you made any New Year's Resolutions?

i think it's hard to make year-specific resolutions because i just use new year to reflect on whether my goals and systems have changed. i suppose i do have a few for 2022:

be more proactive and less afraid of reaching out to opportunities

complete my master's degree (hopefully with distinction)

write a good, publication-worthy dissertation

find a decent full-time job after graduation

get started with 'side hustles' and optimise my hobbies/interests

i've been studying for my january exams and eating more healthily (wanpakku sando for the win). i also launched my 'employer friendly' lifestyle instagram account on instagram (@cath.einated) so feel free to follow! i'll post art and food related stuff there not too dissimilar from my tumblr (^_−)−☆

[catheinated]

1 jan 2022 // Happy New Year! What did you learn in the past year? 

can't believe it's 2022 when my soul is still suspended in 2019... the past year i learned many lessons: i learned that i have the potential to succeed and achieve my goals. i also learned that i shouldn't be so afraid of making the hypothetical leap and just give things a try, especially when it comes to asking questions and seeking advice. ask and you shall receive.

[catheinated]

the start of december is really special to me since my birthday is on the 1st. i’ve taken some time off to reflect on my 22nd year of being on this earth and will be doing my best to get back on track. (this pistachio gelato cake from amorino is absolutely heavenly even in the london cold 💖)

1 dec // do you like winter?

absolutely! most of my family’s birthdays are in december and the festive season makes it all the more better + you can do more against the cold than the heat

2 dec // what is your favourite thing about winter?

i love that despite the harsh weather (in most countries), there is a sentiment of hope that we, as humans, create to celebrate the end of the year and new prospects. the feeling of warmth within frigid winds is the best.

[catheinated]

blog update / username change

when i said i had a very busy summer ahead in my last post i didn't actually think it would be that busy (^^;;

now that i've (more or less) settled into my master's, i think i'll soon outgrow the 'typical' studyblr posts and move on to more of a lifestyle/self-growth documentation, which leads to the point of this post... i'm rebranding!!

i was previously scholarlyyy but after considering linking up my public social media accounts for a long time, i decided to go for catheinated bc i like the wordplay on my name and i want to reinvigorate anyone who comes across my posts just like caffeine would. i'm still sorting out some content but i'm really excited for the change and yeah! that's everything i wanted to announce╰(*´︶`*)╯

fyi i liken myself more as catheine extracted from tea rather than coffee (🍵>>>☕️)

[catheinated]

1 July || What are your plans for this summer?

I have quite a few plans (one of which is to actually finish a study challenge for once hehe). I have managed to secure a 7-week long research internship which is really exciting because it’s going to help me transition from my Bachelor’s to a Master’s (hopefully) and I get paid a decent amount. I am also catching up on several other internships and online courses before my access to them expires.

I’m also planning a well-overdue catch up with friends and family! It’s been 9 months since I’ve returned home and I can’t wait to see them!! Plus, I’m getting both doses of the BioNTech vaccines within the next month so maybe my future quarantine periods will be shorter...

My (maybe) final set of plans is to develop my hobbies such as digital design and working out. Learning how to customise my Notion page was like unlocking a chakra for me even though I’m still working on my layouts and icons. All in all, a very busy summer ahead!

[catheinated]

Happy 7th Anniversary!! (i didn’t save my review picture and have no idea where to recover it lol)

i’ve been using Forest for about 5 years now and it’s been with me throughout a lot of ups and downs. my forest layout looks quite grim whenever i hit a block in my life but i’m always ready to get to work and revive it!

[catheinated]

D10 // 15.05.2021

Been feeling a bit poorly lately and I think it’s due to my through-the-roof cortisol levels... Now that I finished my masters interview, all I can do is stress over the outcome, study for finals, and cry over a bowl of porridge. (´°̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̥ω°̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̥｀)